SCOUTING

[Dan Caviness]

Jason/KK/Missile:

Good points all.

Any dedicated units that provide spotting and are inherently difficult to reveal will be powerful units indeed. I'd say be careful and use them with with malice aforethought....lol...before you start tossing handfuls in to any new scenario...
Considering the brew up we've had over some of new/optional rules lately...this one could definitely polarize the faithful once again.

Considering the maturity and compassion I see omnipresent amongst our forums I'm sure the debate will be handled with the quiet grace and dignity our moderators have come to enjoy. Not to get totally off topic here, but I'd like to get serious for a moment. I consider every member a friend I haven't met yet. I consider the one's I have met worthy of my respect and I strive to earn their respect in return. I do this through my actions and my work, not my words. Words can wound though, and sometimes the damage done can't be undone. Nuff said about that, peace to all and back on topic.

Still...a nicely shot up one or two strength infantry unit with all OP Fire turned off (the OP fire setting is only a personal voodoo ritual of mine...not sure that really effects their chance of being spotted from across the map...lol...) have always had the type of effect Jason's new units will have and they've been used with lethal effect for years.

As long as the new dedicated scout units reveal when you have the AP's to enter their hex...I imagine they will play within the context and spirit of the game.

Jason...don't the new sniper units play similiarly?

I believe recon in the CS has always taken on two distinct forms. The first being offensive/first side recon. That has been affectionately described by many as "recon by death", "blind man's recon", "private parts in a meatgrinder" or my personal favorite, "let's go find a minefield and tap dance", etc., etc. (:O) First side or offensive recon is deadly in this game and often as not those AC's or halftracks you send out to recon do it by getting shot and eliminated. Which...while hard on your retirement plan...is recon...lol...

Second side or defensive recon is more suitable to the types of units your creating, where you can set them in good defensive terrain where they will spot the advancing attacker and remain hidden for some number of turns.

As long as the time honored rule of "movement within enemy LOS automatically reveals ALL units" is held true...the game will never really possess the type of recon units that can effectively scout on first side.

I'm OK with that.
As KK says, that is probably historically accurate for WWII.

What did they have KK? All I can recall for the Yanks were the Marine Scout Sniper units, which were in their infancy during WWII. Russian units seem to be born to recon with their in-game inherent stealth eh?

Regards,

Dan